Author: Darrell Anderson

A court in Thailand has jailed activist and lawyer Anon Nampa for four years after he made a taboo-breaking call for royal reform during protests three years ago. On Tuesday, Bangkok’s Criminal Court also imposed a fine of 20,000 Thai baht ($551) on Anon for breaking an emergency decree that was in force at the time. Anon’s lawyer said he would appeal against the ruling. The charges stem from a protest in October 2020 when Anon also called for the resignation of then Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and a new constitution as he led thousands of mostly young people towards…

Hangzhou: Thailand continued their dominance in sepak takraw at the Asian Games on Friday making a clean sweep of gold medals in the men’s and women’s team regu events. The Thai men comfortably defeated Southeast Asian rivals Malaysia 2-0 in the final at Jinhua Sports Centre Stadium. The Thais were led by Sittipong Khamchan, Wichan Temkort, Pichet Pansan, Siriwat Sakha, Pattarapong Yupadee and Varayut Jantarasena. “I love Lionel Messi,” said Thai player Pattarapong, 39. “And I hope that this sport [sepak takraw] will spread throughout the world and that every continent can play this sport, because I think it’s a…

At the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cyber Security (AMCC-8), Deputy Minister Quang shared Vietnam’s viewpoint on current and emerging threats to the digital environment and cyberspace in an important speech, contributing to the conference’s theme “Regional efforts in fighting existing and emerging threats in cyberspace and technology” According to the official, the fourth industrial revolution has strongly promoted the digital era and a hyper-connected world, bringing potential for transformational change, but at the same time also posed security issues for countries, including ASEAN member states. He said that these issues include rising trends in ransomware and threats from artificial…

The silver medal was in Chinese chess in the mixed team category. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese women’s volleyball team had a successful competition day, beating the Republic of Korea 3-2 in the group stage, and advancing to the second round. In the qualifying round of the women’s kayak single 500m event, Ngo Phuong Thao finished in 5th place with a record of 2 minutes 25 seconds 717, entering the semi-final round. In the qualifying round of the 200m women’s single canoeing event, Nguyen Thi Huong finished in second place after 53.437 seconds, progressing to the final round. On October 1, the…

A meeting between Myanmar military regime leaders and the former chair of the Karen National Union (KNU) held over the weekend would not have any effect on the Karen people’s ongoing armed uprising against the junta, a KNU official said. On Saturday, former KNU chairman Saw Mutu Say Phoe met with military coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw for what the junta described as peace talks. He was accompanied at the talks by former KNU Central Committee member Saw Roger Khin and Padoh Shwe Moung, the current chairman of KNU’s Dooplaya District. Dooplaya District is one of…

Entomologists in Thailand have been stunned by an electrifying new species of tarantula found in the southern part of the country. The spider, known as the Chilobrachys natanicharum, has a “blue-violet hue resembling the color of electrical sparks,” researchers from the Entomology Museum at Khon Kaen University and the Natural History Museum of the National Science Museum said in a paper announcing the find.  They called the tarantula’s rare color an “enchanting phenomenon.” “The blue coloration in animals is a fascinating and relatively rare phenomenon in nature,” researchers said. “Blue color in tarantulas is a unique instance of structural colors that…

Fifty years have passed, Fidel Castro’s affection for Việt Nam still has a deep impression in the minds and lives of many Vietnamese people, continuing to be a symbol of revolutionary heroism, undaunted spirit and aspiration for freedom and happiness, a symbol of close relations with the Vietnamese people. HÀ NỘI – The Việt Nam – Cuba Friendship Association of Hà Nội and the People’s Committee of Ba Đình District on September 22 co-organised a seminar on the Việt Nam-Cuba special solidarity, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of leader Fidel Castro’s historical visit to Việt Nam (September 1973 -…

A young engineer has been producing semiautomatic rifles and drones for a rebel group fighting against Myanmar’s military regime behind his parents’ backs, Wired magazine reported. “My parents would kill me if they [knew] what I’m up to,” he told the publication. The engineer, who is only identified as “3D” due to the risk of facing arrest and execution, told the magazine he has been producing weapons for the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), an insurgent group made up of young civilians like himself, since the early months of the junta’s takeover in February 2021. Myanmar’s military staged a coup two years ago after…

The Vietnam War tormented and tore the societies who saw fit to participate in it. It defined a generation culturally and politically in terms creative and fractious. And it showed up the rulers to be ignorant rather than bright; blundering fools rather than sages secure in their preaching. Five decades on, the political classes in the United States and Australia are still seeking to find reasons for intervening in a country they scant understood, with a fanatic’s persuasion, an ideologue’s conviction, and a moralist’s certainty. Old errors die hard. Leaders are left with the legacy of having to re-scent the…

BANGKOK : Thailand recorded 19 million foreign tourists in the January to September 17 period this year, the tourism ministry said on Tuesday. Foreign arrivals generated 795 billion baht (US$22.26 billion)in revenue, it said. “The tourism situation in Thailand is showing signs of improvement,” the statement said, adding that the government’s visa waiver for Chinese arrivals will give the sector a boost. Arrivals are expected to pick up as the industry begins to enter high season this week, with long weekends in source countries like Malaysia and Japan. Thailand’s new government plans to boost tourism arrivals include waiving visas for…